No More Plastic Straws in McDonalds India

Plastic pollution is a growing problem in the world. By 2050 it is estimated that, by weight, there is going to be more plastic than fish in the world.

There is the obvious "on the go" culprits (to-go drinks with lids and juice boxes) that we see strewn in gutters, parks, schools, and on beaches, but the sheer amount that are served daily from dine-in restaurants and bars are staggering as well, many in close proximity to waterways and beaches.

Most people don't think about the plastic straw, and are shocked to learn that plastic straws are not recycled. They are used for minutes at best and tossed "away" in our environment, where they will outlive us all and generations to come. I often ask people to consider that fact when discussing the "need" for single-use straws made of plastic.

And, in recent years it has also started to make its way into the food-chain. Whales are known to have eaten plastic bags, so too have Sea Turtles. In recent years a new problem has come to the attention of the public: Plastic Straws. They are known to have caused the drowning of turtles as they get stuck in their nostrils. This is needless and inhumane. If the drinks are being provided in disposable cups already (which is a separate concern), what is the need of plastic straws. McDonalds, one of the largest Transnational Corporations in every country is one of the front-runners in their production of plastic straws, if they can stop, others will follow their lead.

When we, as a nation, signed up to the UN Sustainable Development Goals we pledged to help life under water - this could be one of the biggest steps in helping us achieve this.